


SasuHina Month Day Twenty-Four: Family

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: SasuHina Month 2018 [24]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 23:07:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17130440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: When everything is said and done, family is all that matters to Sasuke now. But when his brother asks about one of his own...Sasuke has his doubts.





	SasuHina Month Day Twenty-Four: Family

𝕄𝕆ℕ𝕆𝔾𝔸𝕋𝔸ℝ𝕀

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[ SasuHinaMonth Day Twenty-Four: Family ]  
[ [@sasuhinamonth](https://tmblr.co/mDWRVDCHtKSsouFwnBiWhIg) ]  
[ Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi, Hyūga Hinata ]  
[ SasuHina ]  
[ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] 

In the end…this is what matters most.

He’s been  _home_ a few years now…but home refers less to where he is, and more to where  _they_  are. His family. The few scraps left of a once-mighty clan, rebuilding and growing out of the cracked, blood-soaked ground of the compound of the Uchiha. Before the war - before his last stand began - he never imagined coming back here. Instead, Konoha had been slated for destruction. Repayment for what they took from him.

But now…Sasuke takes steps forward into a future he never foresaw. It’s not as it should be. So much is missing. And yet…there’s more than he hoped, once upon a time, when he first felt the thirst of vengeance like rising bile in his throat.

His brother. His cousin. Itachi’s children and wife. Not the perfect ending…but enough to give him hope for a future he once thought ripped from him.

The twins are four years old already - time really is flying. More than anyone else, Sasuke is soft with them. They, he swears, will have a better future than their namesakes. The sight of them always warms his heart. New Uchiha lives, nine years after the rest were taken…or assumed to be taken.

“…do you ever think about this, Sasuke?”

Tearing his eyes from his niece and nephew, Sasuke gives his brother a questioning glance. “…what do you mean?”

“Family.”

“…it’s all I think about.”

After a pause, Itachi chuckles, head bowing slightly with closed eyes. “No, not in regards to what we have…I mean a branch from  _you_. Children. A spouse.”

The younger brother stiffens slightly. “…I…”

“I don’t mean to sound pressuring. I’m simply curious.” There’s a playful glint in Itachi’s eyes. “…that Hyūga officer you partner with seems…pleasant.”

“…Hinata’s fine.”

“Sasuke…”

“Look, I…” A hand combs back through his hair in a nervous gesture. “…I don’t know if…I could do… _this_.”

“…this…?”

“…be a father. Or a…a husband.”

“Why not?”

How to explain? “…I don’t know if I’m…if I’m… _stable_  enough for that.”

Itachi’s brows furrow. “…do you fear you would hurt them?”

“No! I mean…I don’t…” Sasuke sighs curtly. “…I would never mean to. But I…”

“…you’ve gone through so much,” his brother murmurs. “…I understand. At times…being hardened for so long can make being soft seem…impossible.” His gaze moves out beyond the porch on which they perch. His children squeal as Shisui mock-fights with them, over-dramatically reacting to their blows. Or…his daughter’s, at least. His son looks more concerned than enthused.

“…but just as instinctive as combat may be for us, so too is love. If you were to find someone to call your partner…I’m sure you would do well by them. After all, if I know anything about you…you would first have to trust them implicitly. Surely, then, you’d have no reason to react poorly to them…?”

Sasuke seems to brood, also watching the scene atop the grass. “…consciously, sure. But…reflexes aren’t easy to tame. And I’m…I’m too strong to take that risk.” A palm comes to rest atop the cloth of his hitai-ate, wherein his Rinnegan hides. “…if I ever hurt them…I’d rather die. I’d never be able to live with myself.” The admission is quiet, a worry that’s weighed on him since returning to Konoha.

It’s Itachi’s turn to sigh, quiet as he mulls that over.

“Are you ever scared you’ll hurt them?”

“…no.” He turns to Sasuke, looking thoughtful. “…my biggest concern is not being able to protect them. And…” A hitch, as though debating his next words. “…I worry that I…may fall into old routines. Distance myself. Manipulate them as I see fit. My ego, when I was younger, led to me often subtly driving people to ends that would suit me. I don’t want that to happen…but old habits are hard to break. But, Sasuke…” His expression softens. “…I truly think you would do right by your family. Because…I feel that your desire to keep them safe would far outweigh your fears of doing them harm. Look at all you have done for your family. It is ingrained in you like an instinct. That, more than anything else, drives you and your actions. Therefore…I’m certain you would never lift a hand against your family, should you choose to have one. Neither consciously, nor unconsciously. But…it’s not required of you. Not by any means. What I want most for you is to be happy. Whether that be by yourself, or with someone you come to love.  _That_  is what is most important to me. To us.”

Quiet falls between them, and Itachi lets it go unfettered, seeing the gears turning in his brother’s mind.

…maybe Itachi is right. His last goal in life, now, is to protect what remains of his family. Surely that would come to encompass anyone else be brings into his life with intent to call them the same.

Hinata is…what is she? They spend time together, mostly due to their work with the police force. They see one another outside their rounds, but…there’s never been any crossing of the line between friendship and…anything else. Does she even feel that way about him?  _Could_  she?

True, they’ve lamented their pasts together, and she claims she no longer holds affection for Naruto. But surely there’s someone else. One of her teammates, maybe. After all, it’s a high statistic: teammates getting married happens more often than not. But though she mentions both Shino and Kiba often, there’s never been talk of dating…or would she reveal that to him?

…he doesn’t know how she feels.

He doesn’t know how  _he_  feels.

During his most formative years - puberty, being a teen - he had entirely different goals than most. No intentions to form bonds, let alone romantic ones. His priorities had been narrowly focused on avenging those he lost. He’s never had a relationship. Never kissed anyone…intentionally. At this point, he’s not even sure what romance is actually meant to be. He looks at his brother and his wife, and wonders if he could emulate that with someone else.

He’s struggled over the years to reconnect with his agemates. He’s on good terms with them all - or, at least, neutral. But none have truly stood out to him - not in that way, at any rate.

But when he thinks about it - truly considers the theory - it’s Hinata that first comes to mind. Does that…mean something? He enjoys her company. They work together seamlessly - they hardly even need to speak most days when things get intense. They just…react. Their battle chemistry developed quickly, and meshes well enough that he never has to question it. She’s quiet, but sweet…funny, in her own way. Unobtrusive. More often than not, they can simply sit in the silence together. Nothing else is needed but each other’s company.

At that…he makes up his mind.

Sensing the shift, Itachi glances to him curiously, watching as he stands. “…going somewhere?”

“Need to do something.”

“Don’t be late for dinner. You can bring her, if you’d like.”

Halfway through the door, Sasuke looks back to give his brother a suspicious glower before heading back through the house.

Staring for a moment, Itachi eventually chuckles to himself, looking back just in time to see Shisui heroically collapse, his daughter standing triumphantly over his corpse.

Walking swiftly through the village, Sasuke spreads his senses, looking for her soft lilac signature. It’s not long before he finds it, just exiting a yarn shop. Seeing him, Hinata comes up short, a bit startled. “Oh!”

“Hinata.”

There’s a blink. “Um…yes?”

For a moment he debates, letting her linger in silence with a curious tilt of her head. “…would you…like to have dinner with me?”

Another blink. Something alights in her expression, as though coming to a realization. After a pause of her own, she eventually replies, “…I…would like that very much.”

Well…it’s a start.

**Author's Note:**

> Still a day behind, but one of these days I’ll catch up xD Gotta run and get some things done, so not much to say this time around.  
> Go get her, Sasuke!


End file.
